A World United Through Art

Socorrito Diaz, an elementary art teacher at the Baldwin School of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and an alumni of several Teacher Institutes, spearheaded what is undoubtedly the most ambitious project to result from this annual summer program since its inception in 1989. Ms Diaz is the proud organizer of A World United Through Art -- an international network of teachers whose students create art works which travel to different communities worldwide, where the work is exhibited and enjoyed by children, school faculty, and parents alike. Now entering its sixth year, A World United through Art has approximately eighteen participating countries. Given its vast scope, and ambitious goals, the program requires the energies of all involved. Several of its founding members have hosted the annual display of student artwork, including Chris Roe of Adelaide, Australia, Debbie Corletto of Medford, Massachusetts, and Judy Ball Johnson from Shreveport, Louisiana. From the onset of the program in 1994, and the first art show in Puerto Rico, these tireless educators have seen this as an opportunity to celebrate their students' creativity, while promoting cooperation and international good will.

The program accomplishes several goals: teachers stay in touch, exchanging teaching methods and materials; students make friends from foreign countries through the exchange of paintings. Some classes have strengthened their ties by letter writing. Others have used the Internet to make and maintain contact, learning more about each others' school lives and cultural traditions via cyberspace.

Each annual art exhibition has focused on a theme, allowing teachers to create curriculum materials that link across disciplines. Chris Roe wrote a unit on aboriginal Australian painting that was subsequently published by Australia's Department of Education and Children's Services. Judy Ball Johnson received a grant from the Cado Public Education Foundation for her work on a multicultural art project, and Socorrito Diaz won a grant from the National Catholic Educational Association for teaching strategies relating art to social studies, language arts, and religion.

In April, 1999, the 5th Annual International Art Exchange will return to San Juan. This year's exhibit has support from the broader community including the Nueva Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad Politécnica (New School of Architecture of the Politechnical University) and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, which has offered to display the students' work in a historic arsenal that has been converted to a museum.

As a rule, however, the International Art Exchange is self-supported. The annual exhibit depends on the generosity of participating schools and sometimes parent groups. Each school is responsible for packing and sending the art work to the host site which, in turn, handles installation, labeling, publicity, refreshments, and certificates of participation.

Exhilarated by what they have accomplished thus far, Ms Diaz notes that their success is due to the combined efforts of all involved. She looks forward to welcoming new participants, noting, "We are sure that more will join in the years to come, with the purpose of making art an important part of our lives."